Managing pests and environmental extremes
What is the problem?
Incidence and severity of damaging environmental conditions — such as rain, hail, wind, and extreme temperatures are likely to increase. These intensifying conditions can damage your crops, and be a risk to animals, leading to economic loss. Warmer winters and more variable seasons in Tasmania are also increasing the prevalence and persistence of pests and diseases, putting more pressure on farmers to maintain crop quality and yields.
Why is it important?
Using A.I. driven tools and protective systems, that rapidly assess crop and animal health, alert to pest presence and shelter your animals and produce from intense environmental events, can save pain and profits. Animal shelters and protected cropping systems (PCS) can help you mitigate, better control and monitor these environmental risks. Protected cropping systems (PCS) can help you meet fruit quality parameters, which can lead to more stringent quality specifications.
What does success look like?
Put tools in place to optimise growing conditions, track pest and disease pressures and maintain stringent quality specifications through rapid data driven decision making. Look into protected cropping systems or animal shelters that match your farm business, balancing capital investment with operational costs. Investing in PCS is a complex decision, so understanding the range of options is key to finding the best fit for your farming business. Make sure to understand how shelters, PCS and other systems integrate with your overall farm, record keeping and data management to reduce the risk of single points of failure from new systems.
Encompassed technologies
Protected cropping systems (PCS)
- Protects crops from environmental damage such as wind, hail, and excessive rain
- Enables control over temperature, humidity, and other growing conditions
- Extends growing seasons and supports consistent quality
Cravo
Automated retractable roof production system for protection from rain, wind, and hail .
Their systems integrate climate sensors (rain, wind, temperature, humidity, soil moisture), enabling smart environment control via automation
Estimated Cost
AUD ~30 to 70 / m² for structural + covering + controls
Haygrove
Retractable polytunnel systems for protection from rain, wind, frost, hail with manual and mechanised venting system enables management of crop conditions.
Estimated Cost
AUD 7 to 12 / m² (standard tunnels); retractable / covering systems AUD 30 to 70 / m²
VOEN Covering Systems
Covers for protection from heavy rain, wind, frost, hail with manual venting (retraction) system.
Estimated Cost
N/A (quote required)
Elite Tunnels
Polytunnel systems for protection from rain, frost, hail.
Estimated Cost
N/A (quote required)
PCS control
- Automates venting, heating, and cooling in protected cropping structures
- Optimises climate conditions to maximise yield and quality
- Reduces manual intervention and improves resource use efficiency
Link 4
• Greenhouse control systems for managing automated venting system with different models designed to match the requirements of the grower and compatibility with standard greenhouse equipment.
• Expandable and flexible: add input and output modules to expand to specific requirements.
• Also develops irrigation and fertigation control systems.
Estimated Cost
N/A (quote required)
AI-driven climate control platforms
- Uses AI to optimise irrigation, ventilation, and climate control
- Improves energy and water use efficiency
- Maintains stable growing conditions under variable weather
Priva
Smart greenhouse control systems that manage automated venting and integrate data from weather, light, and water sensors.
Recently partnered with Blue Radix to add AI-driven climate control for scalable, resource-efficient operations.
Estimated Cost
N/A (quote required)
Agricultural sensing
- Monitors soil, crop, and environmental conditions
- Provides data to inform manual or automated management decisions
Ag Logic
Designs and supplies agricultural sensors, telemetry equipment, and integrated monitoring systems tailored to specific farming needs.
Offers customised sensing solutions to support data collection across diverse operations, enabling better environmental monitoring and management decisions.
Estimated Cost
N/A (quote required)
Laser Pest Deterrents - Birds
Cockatoos and other bird life can root and rip up pasture.
Their Innovative intelligence and adaptability makes them difficult to manage.
Automatic green laser deterrents are a non-lethal, no noise. Lasers mimic predator proximity to deter birds and protect farm pasture and other assets.
Bird OFF Indoor and Outdoor Laser Bird Eliminator
Entry level laser ($900) with varying red and green lasers that cover 300 sqm.
Estimated Cost
Entry level laser ($900)
Bird Control Hawk Laser MK2 – 500mW
Automated system with pan and tilt capabilities up to 350 degrees. $5.5 k per unit, covering up to 20 acres. Battery powered.
Estimated Cost
AUD 3,999.60 one unit
AVIX Autonomic Mark II
Top tier laser unit (approx $20 k per unit).
Solar powered and claims to reduce bird nuisance by 70 - 90%.
Covers 12 square kms.
Modular and connected to a phone app.
Estimated Cost
~ AUD 20,000 (full solar setup)
Volatile compound detection sensor
- Detects early signs of crop disease or spoilage through volatile compound analysis
- Enables proactive intervention before visible symptoms appear
- Reduces crop loss and protects yield quality
QUOLL® e‑nose
• In‑development soil sensor that “sniffs” the soil to detect microbial activity and carbon processes in real time.
• Deployed in on-farm trials in Tasmania, farmers are invited to express interest in hosting trial devices.
• Designed to help growers rapidly assess soil health and make informed management decisions without lab testing.
Estimated Cost
N/A (quote required) (trial phase)
Smartphone application
Onside
A smartphone app that consolidates your health and safety, biosecurity, and contractor management into one powerful platform. Build a bulletproof compliance record - making audits and data better for you and your farms biosecurity tracking.
Estimated Cost
Free plans with upgrades up to $136 per property per month
Early disease detection sensors
- Detects diseases early to reduce crop loss
- Reduces the need for preventative spraying by enabling timely, targeted interventions
BioScout
• BioScout uses in-field sensor stations to detect airborne fungal spores in real time, allowing growers to act before disease spreads. This early warning system helps reduce unnecessary spraying and crop loss
Estimated Cost
~ AUD 10,000 / year
Rapid Aim
A precision pest management tool with unique IoT sensor technology provides exceptional pest detection accuracy, combined with extended autonomy & low maintenance, packed in an award-winning, portable design.
12 to 18 month battery life.
Telstra narrowband IoT network ensures maximum coverage even in remote areas.
Registered and deployed in minutes.
Scalable from orchard to region.
Low maintenance frequency ~ every 5 months.
Remote firmware upgrades ensures continuous innovation delivery.
Estimated Cost
N/A (quote required)
Smartphone application - photo identification
Plantix
Disease, pest, and nutrient deficiency identification and treatment.
Estimated Cost
Free
UV-C disease control
- UV-C systems to reduce crop disease pressure, such as powdery mildew, reduces chemical inputs, increases yield, and reduces labour costs.
UVEX - Vertex UVC sprayer
Manufactures grapevine and berry specific or bespoke UV-C disinfection solutions.
Can be mounted on a Burro system for autonomous crop row treatment at night.
Dosing speed of 3 km / h, with a 6 hour battery life.
Estimated Cost
N/A (quote required)